Re [AV Media Matters] Analog Cassettes

[Robertson.Beth@slsa.sa.gov.au]

I have just finished preparing the fourth edition of the Oral History
Association of Australia's Oral History Handbook which includes advice about
the models of recording equipment suitable for oral history. While there is
no doubt that the humble standard cassette will be with us for many years to
come, the most pertinent of Fred Calabretta's questions is how long the very
limited range of quality cassette recorders, including the Marantz CP430 and
Sony TCD5 Pro II, will be available for recording oral history.

In Australia the radio industry, which has been the primary market for this
'semi-professional' equipment, has almost completely abandoned cassette for
DAT and MiniDisc. I have no doubt that this is the case world-wide and it is
for this reason that oral history practitioners must begin to look beyond
cassette to other formats.

Beth M. Robertson
Manager, Audio-Visual Project Team
State Library of South Australia
Robertson.Beth@slsa.sa.gov.au